Collapsible stairway or the like



Feb. 21, 1933.

G. H. BARRACLOUGH COLLAPSIBLE STAIRWAY OR THE LIKE Filed July 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 21, 1933. '1 G. H. BARRACLOUGH CQLLAPSIBLE' STAIRWAY OR THE LIKE Filed July 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca COLLAPSIBLE STAIRWAY OR THE LIKE Application filed July 27, 1931, Serial No. 553,426, and in Great Britain June 4, 1931- The invention relates to movable stairways or ladders for use in obtaining occasional access to lofts, basements or the like, or where it is desired to establish communication between different levels where a fixed or permanent staircase is not in evidence. Hitherto, these ladders or stairs are of rigid construction to which is connected a rope and a counterbalance weight, which are operated by a long arm provided with a hook adapted to engage a catch in the hatch cover attached near the foot of said ladder. The arrangement is such, that, when not required, the ladder may be raised and eventually disappears through the hatch opening to be followed by the automatic closing of said opening by the hatch cover.

The use of these ladders has been greatly handicapped and their adoption frequently prevented by the position of the hatch opening giving access to the loft, or where sufficient space is not provided between the loft floor and ceiling or roof, or from said opening along the floor, or 'for radius clearance,

for housing the same.

The object of the present invention is to construct an improved or collapsible stairway providing a ready means of access to lofts, basements or the like, without regard to the position of the hatch or trap opening in the loft or other floor. The improved stairway is adapted to hinge or swing on means provided in the hatch opening, or,

, on hinges secured to the hatch and hatch cover, and when not required said stair may be housed within said opening without taking up any portion of the floor space; it may be more easily and quickly manipulated from either a lower or an upper floor, and when positioned for use it is more convenient, rigid and stable than other constructions of such ladders or stairs.

The stairway is formed on the lazy tongs principle, that is, of lattice-work wherein each lath hinges or pivots at each end and in the middle thereof. These lattices form the sides and back of the stairway, one end of the side lattices being secured to corresponding brackets to which is bolted or otherwise secured the hatch door near one end thereof. The said brackets hinge on a transverse rod house-d in the hatch, and cords attached to the opposite end of the stairway, and to the corresponding end of the hatch cover, pass over guide pulleys and have connected thereto counterbalance weights. Or, alternatively, the transverse rod may form means on which only the lower extremities of certain end laths are adapted to pivot, the brackets supporting said rod being secured to the hatch cover so as to move with said cover on the hinges thereof.

The improved stairway is manipulated in the well known manner and when not required is contained in the hatch with the laths of the side lattices folded side by side in approximately vertical positions, those of the back lattice occupying similar hori- Zontal positions, within the hatch opening, with the hatch cover closing said opening from below.

I attain these objects by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of the improved stairway shown opened out for giving access to a loft, basement or the like.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a fragmentary part of Fig. 1. 80. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the improved stairway showing the same closed and housed within the hatch leading to a loft or the like.

Fig. f is a sectional elevation of a fragmentary part of a bracket showing an antifriction runner mounted on one of the end laths, operating in a slot therein.

Fig. 5 is a similar View to Fig. 3, showing the brackets, to which are secured the lattice elements, adapted to move with a hinged hatch cover.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of means, drawn to a larger scale, mounted on one of the guide pulleys, for raising and lowering the stair from a lower or an upper floor level.

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary parts, drawn to a larger scale, of a bifurcated hook and of a long arm, respectively, adapted to be en- O gaged for raising or lowering the stair. 1O

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing these parts in engagement.

Figure 10 is a sectional detailed view showing the connection of the treads or steps to the lazy-tong members.

Referring to the drawings :A is a hatch or opening affording communication with a loft or a floor at a different level, B are brackets secured to the opposing sides of the hatch A and adapted to serve as bearings for the ends of atransverse red C, on which the improved stair hinges or swings. D are further brackets adapted to pivot on the rod C, and E is the hatch door or cover secured to the brackets D. In the alternative arrangement, shown at Fig. 5 of the drawings, the cover E is hinged to the side of the hatch at E and the brackets B dispensed with, the shaft or rod C being supported by the brackets D.

The lattice sides of the stairway comprise a number of metal laths F of uniform length, hinged together at each end G, and movable on pivots H in the middle thereof. Each side lattice is secured to said brackets D, the

corresponding ends of certain of the articulated laths being adapted to pivot on the rod C, while the corresponding ends of the opposing laths move in slots J in brackets D when opening out or closing the stair, and this end of said laths may be provided with a flanged antifriction roller K for this purpose, as clearly shown at Fig. 4 of the drawings.

L are steps are treads secured in any suitable or well known manner such as to the advance portion of each opposing lath, and preferably correspond in depth to each lath, or so as not to project on each side thereof when the stair is closed. The rest of the laths may be adapted to serve as a hand-rail when mounting said stair. At the foot of the stair the terminal laths may be connected at the bottom end by transverse rods, angle irons or bars, M, for stabilizing the structure at this end when the stairway is opened out.

For giving the desired stability to the stair when in use, and for facilitating the closing and housing thereof when not required, a further lattice or lazy tongs N is arranged at the back thereof. The lazy-tongs N are connected to and are made to synchronize with the movements of the laths F by means of the brackets R which are connected to each of the treads L of the stair and are pivoted at one end as at G to the bracket P w iich in turn is pivoted by the stud H medially to the lazy-tongs N (Fig. 10). The washers Z are referably interposed between adjacent portions of the intersecting lazy-tongs N and the stud H, so as to insure the free movement of the parts. The treads L may be connected to the laths F by the angle irons L which preferably are formed so as to constitute a part of the tread.

In order to facilitate the opening and closing of the stair, a shank S of a bifurcated hook T is secured by means of a bracket S to the bottom step and a preferably wire cable U is secured to said shank which after passing over guide pulley V mounted in the hatch A, passes over further guide pulleys V mounted in the roof or ceiling of the loft or the like, to the customary counterbalance weight V Further wire cables N are secured to the opposing sides of the hatch cover E, which, after passing over guide pulleys X mounted at the opposite end of the hatch A to the pulley V, pass over other pulleys W in the roof, after which they are spliced to a single cable attached to a further counterbalance weight W A slot Y may be provided in the cover E which enables the hook T to pass with the stair when closing same, and when the stair is closed, more or less conceals the hook T therein, as clearly shown at Fig. 3 of the drawings. Alternatively, with reference to Fig. 5, the slot Y in the cover E may be dispensed with and a solid cover presented, by the shank S being cranked and adapted to be let into the front edge of said cover, the hook T projecting below.

The construction of the collapsible stair is such that the hinged laths forming the sides and back thereof, and the steps connected therewith, are adapted to fold one upon another in a more or less vertical position (as shown at Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings), the cables, guide pulleys and counterbalance weights being so arranged and connected that only a small effort is required to either open or close said stair. For pulling down the stair the customary long arm T (a fragment of which is shown at Fig. 8) may be providedwith a hook or doll-head T adapted to engage the hook T for this purpose, as clearly shown at Fig. 9 of the drawings.

Also, one of the guide pulleys V associated with the cable U may be so mounted in the roof or ceiling of the loft or in any other convenient position and provided with a squared shaft U adapted to receive a lever or handle U so as to provide convenient means for raising or lowering the stair from the upper floor level.

1. A collapsible stair of the class described having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazy-tong members extending between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stair, and steps connected to the lazy-tong members.

2. A collapsible stair of the class described having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazy-tong members extending medially between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stairs, steps supported by the side lazy-tong members and means pivotally connecting the steps to the back lazy-tong members.

8. A collapsible stair of the class described having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, a closure associated with said stair, said closure having spaced brackets secured thereto, said brackets having aligned elongated slots and aligned openings, a transverse rod extending through said openings, means for movably connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said slots, means connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said rod, said back lazy-tong members extending medially between the side members whereby to give stability to the stairs, said back having brackets connected thereto, and steps connected to said brackets.

4%. In combination with a hatch opening, a collapsible stair having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, a closure movably connected to said hatch opening and having spaced brackets thereon provided with aligned elongated slots, a rod connecting said brackets, means slidably connecting the adjacent end links of the side members to said slots, means pivotally connecting the adj acent end link members to said rod, means for simultaneously expanding and collapsing the tong members and means for moving the closure into and out of said hatch opening.

5. In combination with a hatch opening, a collapsible stair having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazytong members extending medially between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stair, a closure movably connected to the hatch opening and having spaced brackets thereon provided with elongated aligned slots, a rod connecting said brackets at a point remote from and in substantial alignment with said slots, means slidably connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said slots, means pivotally connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said rod and counter balancing means connected to said stair and to said closure for facilitating the opening and closing of the stair and the hatch opening.

6. In combination with a hatch opening, a collapsible stair having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazytong members extending medially between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stair, a closure movably connected to the hatch opening and having spaced brackets thereon provided with elongated aligned slots, a rod connecting said brackets at a point remote from and in substantial alignment with said slots, means slidably connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said slots, means pivotally connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said rod, a counter balancing means associated with the stair and closure, flexible means connecting the counter balancing means to the outer ends of the stair and closure respectively for facilitating the opening and closing of the parts, a hook member extending from the outer end of the stair, and meansiormed in 7. In combination with a hatch opening,

a collapsible stair having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazytong members extending medially between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stair, a closure movably connected to the hatch opening and having spaced brackets thereon provided with elongated aligned slots,'a rod connecting said brackets at a point remote from and in substantial alignment with said slots, means slidably connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said slots, means pivotally connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said rod, a counter balancing means associated with the stair and closure, flexible means connecting the counter balancing means to the outer ends of the stair and closure respectively for facilitating the opening and closing of the parts, the outer end of the stair having a depending hook member, and means detachably connected to the hook member for moving the closure and lazy tongs relative to the hatch opening.

8. A collapsible stair of the class described having its back and sides formed of lazytong members, said back lazy-tong members being positioned between and disposed substantially at right angles to the side lazy-tong members, a movable closure associated with said stair, spaced brackets secured to said closure, means movably connecting the links at one end of the side lazy-tong members to said brackets, said back lazy-tong members having longitudinally disposed steps extending outwardly therefrom, and means when the lazy-tong members are in their collapsed position for maintaining the same within said closure.

9. In combination with a hatch opening, a closure movably associated with said opening, spaced brackets connected to said closure, a collapsible stair having back and side lazy-tong members, and means connecting the links at one end of the side lazy-tong members to said brackets, whereby the back and sides of the stair may be folded within the hatch opening when the parts are in their closed position, and may be distended when the closure is moved away from the hatch opening.

10. In combination with a hatch opening, a collapsible stair having its back and sides formed of lazy-tong members, said back lazy-tong members extending medially between the side members, whereby to give stability to the stair, a closure movably connected to the hatch opening and having spaced brackets thereon provided with elongated aligned slots, a rod connecting said brackets at a point remote from and in substantial alignment with said slots, means slidably connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said slots means pivotally connecting the adjacent links of the side members to said rod, a counter-balancing means associated with said stair, a second counterbalancing means associated with the closure, and flexible means connecting the counterbalancing means to the outer end of the stair and to the closure respectively for facilitating the opening and closing of the parts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE HAROLD BARRACLOUGH. 

